Gujjar agitation: Jumbo team sent to hold talks with Rajasthan govt

JAIPUR: After a lot of deliberation, the agitating Gujjars have once again agreed to discuss their quota demand with the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan. And to do the job, they have sent a 51-member 'jumbo' delegation to the state Capital to hold the third round of parleys with the committee of state ministers, comprising Energy Minister Jitendra Singh, Home Minister Shanti Dhariwal and Transport Minister BK Sharma.

The third round of talks was scheduled to be held late evening on Sunday. The first two rounds held at the agitation site at Pilukapura and Bayana had ended up inconclusive with the Gujjars remaining adamant on their demand for a separate 5% quota in the government jobs and educational institutions.

As a prelude to the meeting, Gujjar leaders within the Congress — including Union minister of state Sachin Pilot and the state Energy Minister Jitendra Singh — had met in Jaipur on Saturday to zero in on the formula to break the 14-day-long deadlock.

"The details of the discussion has been communicated to the Gujjar agitators at Pilukapura. They were asking the Gujjar leaders of the Congress to come to the agitation site and apprise them (protestors) of the outcome of their meeting. But Congress Gujjar leaders decided against going to Pilukapura and, instead invited the community's delegation to initiate talks on the points chalked out by them," said a government official, who was involved to the discussion.

Meanwhile, the Gujjars continued to block the Mumbai-Delhi rail tracks and the Jaipur-Agra National Highway and several other roads in support of their demand. Roop Singh, a close aide of Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla, said after the meeting with the ministers, the delegation will discuss it with the community people following which Bainsla may come to Jaipur to hold further talks.

"Bainsla will take the final call. However, we want the participation of every Gujjar while arriving at any decision this time round. A single leader will not commit anything on behalf of the entire community," he said.

The Gujjars have been persistent on their nine-point agenda, which includes putting all recruitment drive on hold till the final verdict on the quota demand is out, withdrawal of cases against Gujjar agitators, doubling the budget of Devnarayan Board, inclusion of Gujjar Reservation Act in the ninth schedule of the Constitution, setting the time-limit for the survey, adequate compensation to those who have been disabled and government jobs for the dependents of those killed in the agitation.

The government is said to have agreed on most of the points. The deadlock, however, is on the recruitment drive and providing 5% quota immediately.